Improved device for relieving steam-generators of foreign substances



tnttd (Settim gait-tt pim,

FRANCIS ARMSTRONG, OF PITTSBURG,PENNSYLVANIA.

Letters Patent No. 93,851, dated- Ang/'ust 17, 1869.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

T c all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Finnois ARMSTRONG, of Pittsburg, State of Pennsylvania, have made'a new and useful Improvement for the Surface-Drama ge of Water in Steam-Boilers', and I hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,aml exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, making a part of this speciiication, the same letters being used to designate `the same part-s shown in the di'erent iigures.

Figure l'is a sectional side elevation of a doubletlne boiler, and f f Figure 2 is a cross-section of two boilers of same construction. I

Figure 3 is a perspective View.

My invention relates to that class of devices or apparatus which is used for the purpose of removing argillaceous and silicious matters, or any of the various solid substances held in solution or suspension in' natural waters, ii'om boilers used for the purpose of generating steam; and

My invention consists in the arrangement of devices hereinafter set forth, 'whereby to produce a vorteX in the water of'boilers, which, when applied within the first scope of the conditions hereinafter set forth, will perform the'function sought.

1n order to forma vortex in a boiler, or other conned places, through the .medium of tubing applied thereto, the physical laws require that only a small quantity of water shall be discharged, for if too unich is discharged, the evacuation will relievethc water ot' the pressure under which itlabors so suddenly that it must instantly be relieved of a portion of its heat by evaporation, the action of which wouldagitate the current, and destroy the spiral motion ofthe particles of water, which is essential to the production of a vortex and requisite to insure vortex action.

The discharge must be small in quantity and slow in action, in order that the pressure. exerted upon the water in the tubes, hereinafter described, shall be uniform with that upon the water of the boiler.

1t is for this reason that the common surface blowloft used in marine boilers is entirely ineiiicacious for this purpose lof producing vortex action.

The practical application of the devices which constitute my invention, causes a vortex in the water of boilers under certain conditions thereto, so that foreign substances, held in suspensin in the water, are conveyed, and thus impurities, which would otherwise settle and form hard incrustations on the boiler-plates, are removed.

'In constructing and applying this apparatus, as the drawings indicate, when applied to the common flueboilers, and having a mud-receiver placed below their after-ends, a tube, marked c, is placed 1n this mud-receiver, making the main connection ior all the tubes going into the boilers.

This tube c has a length equal to that required for as many boilers as maybe operated on at the same time, and .one end, or some part of it, has a branch coming through the mud-receiver, to make the outlet, having a valve, marked a, to bc opened to allow the drainage to go on, and closed to suspend it.

For each boiler, a branch extends from c, 'marked P, passing up through the connection or leg, joining the mud-recever to the boilers, then passing longitudinallylwith the boiler to near its centre, having. the end turned upward, to present a correct position for the water to enter, having the end held in position by a stay resting on the iiues marked li. f

If the steam is takenont of the boilers, at or, near their middle, longitudinally, ythe pipe P mustvbe set away from the inuence ofthe current, which may agitate the surface of the water, and counteract the action of the vortex.

The distance below the water-level for the opening of pipe P, will depend considerably on the size of such tube.

One having a diameter of three-tburths of one inch, can be set about six inches below the water-line, and which will have sufficient influence to draw substances on the surface of the water, spreading over a superficial area of eighty to one hundred-feet..

The size of pipe c should be equal or nearly so to all those of P combined, to insure as much uniformity as possible in the discharge from all the boilers.

The mode of operation consists in opening the valve every two or three hours', and for a few minutes each time, and while evaporation is active.

The extent of the drainage necessary., to draw the sediment, will establish itself, so as'to be understood in a'few operations, as different pressures ot' steam inv dii'erent boilers will require slight variations in this respect.

Witnesses:

JOHN BIRMINGHAM, THOMAS ROGERS, Jr. 

